‘Art in Extraordinary Places’:

C-Art 2016 unveils unique locations across Cumbria

Expect the unexpected next month. Castles, churches, lake shores and mountain huts are just some of the unusual settings which will play host to some exceptional works of art in the iconic Cumbrian landscape, as part of C-Art 2016.

Co-ordinated by Eden Arts, the award-winning C-Art is the county’s biggest visual arts project including 110+ artists, designers and galleries spread across 80 venues from Saturday 10–Sunday 25 September 2016.

As well as ‘open studios’ in more traditional gallery settings, artists will also be taking up residence in 15 more unexpected locations. That ranges from Carlisle Cathedral to the shores of Ullswater and Windermere, and properties throughout the Lake District including Grasmere’s Allan Bank, Fell Foot Park and Bark House at Ashness Bridge.

This diverse arts trail includes special installations, activities and artists’ work at:

• Ullswater shore, near Pooley Bridge: Rachel Fenwick will present her installation ‘Looking for a Sign’. A series of handmade sign posts will use Ullswater as an extraordinary backdrop for viewers to contemplate the directions they have chosen to follow in life.

• Carlisle Cathedral: A majestic setting for an exhibition of recent work by Rowena Beaty in limestone and marble, made using the traditional hand tools of hammer and chisel.

• Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens: Cumbria Printmakers will be located in the 16th century Great Barn, one of the largest and most impressive loft barns in the north of England. As well as offering printmaking techniques, they will be offering visitors the chance to have a go at printmaking in one of their workshops.

• The Guildhall, Carlisle: Carlisle’s only medieval house will host Rosie Galloway-Smith, who will be working with members of the public to populate a large fabric map of the flooded city centre with embroidered names and stories.

• Sprint Mill, Burneside: Discover a range of traditional arts and crafts in this 19th century fulling mill. Explore this fascinating building and its amazing collections, and talk to the artists who have made it their home.

• Florence Arts Centre, Egremont: Housed in the old mineworkers’ buildings, GROUND 3 is a group show celebrating natural paints and pigments, including those made with haematite from the discussed Florence Mine.

• The Old Fire Station, Penrith: The Unstationary Artists are a group of 11 mostly emerging arts who will showcase an eclectic mix of painting, sculpture, video, drawing, paper work and printmaking – all based at the home of C-Art organisers, Eden Arts, in Penrith’s Old Fire Station.

• Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Trust: William Wordsworth’s first family home is hosting ‘Wordsworth Country: Lakes, Mountains and Waterfalls’ to explore how Wordsworth’s words drew people to the Lake District and features a range of paintings, photos and guidebooks. A contemporary exhibition the Ark of Lost Things includes work by writer Karen Lloyd, photographer Florence Acland and artist Edward Acland.

• National Trust, Bark House at Ashness Bridge: Originally used to store oak bark for the tannery in Keswick, then later a bothy / mountain hut, Christine Hurford will use this peaceful location to present work in bone china and graphite to produce an alternative “stream”.

• National Trust, Acorn Bank: What would paintings look like if they were painted by really tiny people? Alex Jakob-Whitworth will be creating artworks from a faerie point of view, and if you look hard enough you might even find some of the faeries and wood folk yourself…

• National Trust, Fell Foot: Sarah Tew will be presenting both small scale works in the Discovery Cottage and larger outdoor installations to highlight unpredictable natural elements, with a playful approach to rain, wind and light in the landscape.

• National Trust, Allan Bank: Lucy Barnfather be resident in a temporary studio in the former home of William Wordsworth, to present work that responds to the space around her.

Jo Bramley-Wright, from Eden Arts, says, “C-Art in Extraordinary Places is a fabulous opportunity for people to experience art in a variety of natural and man-made landscapes across Cumbria. It’s also a great way to introduce contemporary arts and crafts to anyone who may not normally visit galleries or studios. For the artists themselves, Cumbria’s diverse and spectacular scenery is an unbeatable source of creativity and inspiration, and they are very excited to be working in these unique and unexpected locations.”

C-Art in Extraordinary Places is part of a two week long programme of exhibitions, open studios, workshops and special events (10–25 September 2016). It also coincides with the launch of the Cumbrian Artist of the Year exhibition at Rheged on 9 September, which this year runs until 13 November.

Eden Arts is a charitable arts organisation (charity no. 1139215) based in the Eden District, Cumbria, and funded by Eden District Council, Arts Council England and The Big Lottery. Eden Arts promotes, invents, dreams and cooks up all sorts of creative projects from commissions to participatory to gigs and cinema. www.edenarts.co.uk

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